spin contamination

https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.ST07103
In unrestricted Hartree–Fock method, the wavefunctions obtained are eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian and the spin projection Sz operators, but not eigenfunctions of the S2 operator. As a result, the wavefunctions of the doublet systems are spin-contaminated to some extent by admixtures of quartet, sextet, and higher spin states. The eigenvalues of the S2 operator are given as a measure of the spin contamination.
Source:
PAC, 1999, 71, 1919. (Glossary of terms used in theoretical organic chemistry) on page 1962 [Terms] [Paper]